searching for some kind of {redemption} || Darby

[RYDEN MATTHEW O'CONNER]

Bustling. Busy. Loud. Distracting.

All were words one could use to describe the portion of the city made up of your typical stores and public buildings. It was where people came to spend money mostly and judging from the amount of cars and people milling about plenty of people were doing just that. Horns honking, people laughing, babies crying; it was all just one rather chaotic scene really. One made even worse by the fact that it was exactly noon and everyone was rushing around on their lunch breaks to stop at the bank or run errands. Suffice it to say there were people everywhere, walking, running, talking on phones and generally paying little attention to anything around them. Typical human behavior you might say. Except for the one small little fact that not all of the beings hurrying here and there were human.

It was amidst this scene that Ryden O'Conner found himself situated, seated on one of the many benches scattered at different points along the sidewalks. Watching everything that was going on with a neutral expression on that chiseled face of his, observing it all with the ease of someone who did so quite often. Some people liked to consider people watching as something of a hobby, an interesting little past time that provided them with extra amusement in life. For the young man it was something more of a survival instinct than the desire to be entertained. The more you knew about your surroundings and who was in them the less chance you had of being caught off guard or surprised, which might not have seemed like such a big deal unless you did not wish to be found by certain people. Or rather, certain creatures as the case may be.

Even angels had their fair share of enemies. Or more specifically, fallen angels considering that was what he happened to be. Cast out of heaven and sentenced to a life on earth until the end of time. A rather dismal fate to say the least. But that was the price for disobedience, a fact he knew and had known full well when he'd chosen to break the laws of heaven. In the last two hundred and some odd years that he'd spent wandering the planet he'd had more than one moment of wistfulness, brought on by the sight of a bright blue sky or dazzling sunset, little reminders of what he'd left behind. Living on earth was like going from the grandest, most oppulous mansion imaginable to a one room hut made from sticks and mud. There were things about it though that had endeared the place to him through the years, the sound of a small bubbling creek or the sight of snowflakes falling lazily from the sky. Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination was this planet but it was cozy in it's own unique way.

Coming to this city had perhaps made that fact even more apparent as it was the first place he'd found where other non-humans lived practically unknown among the general populace. He knew there were a handful of humans who knew of the existence of said creatures but they were few and far between. Most were blissfully ignorant, which was probably for the best. How long they'd remain that way was still yet to be seen considering the growing tension between the light side and dark side for control of the city. It was a conflict that Ryden kept a watchful eye on from the sidelines, choosing to stay out of the limelight one might say. Some figured him a member of the neutral camp and he had no problem letting them think that if they wished. However, when it came down to it his alliance was with the light side. Even fallen that instinct to protect the human race had never quite disappeared, not entirely at least.

It was why he was here now, the reason behind the subtle, yet keen observation of everyone around him. He'd been waiting for some time now, unnoticed by most of the people passing by him, just someone else around them to ignore. Which was perfectly fine by him since it only served to make his job that much easier. Every person that passed by was noted; an old man with a cane, a middle-aged woman in a business suit, two joggers sprinting side by side. And finally, a small boy, no more than seven or eight with a backpack strapped to his shoulders, walking slowly along the sidewalk, scuffing his feet every now and again for the apparent fun of it. Bingo.

Even more interesting to the young man, however, was the woman walking fifty feet or so behind the boy, young looking with long blonde hair and dressed like one of the trendy and chic woman of the wealthier set. Her gaze was settled on the little boy, focused entirely on him it seemed though Ryden knew better. A slight change in the direction of his dark brown eyes revealed a casually dressed man coming from the opposite direction, ear phones on his head and his gaze directed ahead of him, towards the boy and woman. To anyone else in the general vicinity nothing about either the man or woman would have seemed at all out of place or as cause for alarm which was exactly what they wanted. Completely unaware of the imminent danger he was in, the boy stopped at the sight of a coin on the sidewalk, a bright little smile lighting up his face as he bent over to pick up his find. Taking advantage of this, the woman moved in closer and reached down to grab a hold of the boy's arm which cued Ryden into action.

Needing a distraction, he used the first thing that presented itself, which in this case happened to be a man on a bicycle. In what looked to be purely bad timing on his part, Ryden made certain to collide with the man as he got up from the bench, sending the unfortunate stranger toppling sideways and effectively knocking down several other people as well, creating a temporary road block in front of the man with the head phones. The cries of indignant shock and anger from those involved in the stunt was enough to temporarily grab the blonde woman's attention and those few brief seconds were all Ryden needed to swoop in and wisk the little boy away from her. Covering the child's mouth with one hand to keep him from crying out and giving them away, the young man sprinted down an alley, following the path he'd planned out before hand before finally ducking down a dark space between two buildings.

Hopefully he'd gotten enough of a head start that they wouldn't know which way he'd gone. Otherwise this would all be for nothing.

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TAGGED:

[/color] Darby!!
NOTES:[/color] Hope this is an alright place to start these two out. =)
CREDIT:[/color]Text banner credit goes to CUPCAKES AND CONNIPTIONS @ CAUTION[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[DARBY GRACE ELLIS]

Ugh. The city. Given much too much glitz when it was like any other city. It was a horrible place to begin with, filled with people and noises with little room to breathe or to even allow yourself a proper thought. And that was just an average day. Somehow, it was worse. Downright atrocious. There were so many people milling about that it made a sardine can look roomy and open. If you were claustrophobic, you were out of luck. And if you weren’t, well, the city’s atmosphere was enough to cause you to be. How could people even enjoy this? There was no possible way. How could you enjoy having your personal space bubble invaded, feeling people all around you, jostling, pushing, shoving. Being lost in a sea of faces, unable to see anything around you, carefully sidestepping while trying to not run into the people coming the other way. Having to hold personal items close lest they become the focus of a would be robber, keeping an eye on the younger ones to make sure they didn’t wander and get trampled. This wasn’t enjoyment, and anyone who said they liked crowds lied. It was a front, something said to make the other liars who also said they liked city life impressed.

Then again, maybe it was just Darby. She hated large crowds of people. No, scratch that. Hated to be around people. Strangers, to clarify that. People were bad, strangers dreadful. It didn’t matter if there were two, twenty, or two thousand. The young firetamer just hated being around people, much preferring to hide behind her books and live in her own little world. She had no clue as to why she had decided to come to the city, and at noon as well. She kept telling herself it was because she needed to go to the bookstore, get the latest title out. But the real truth was she needed to get out of the house (because when didn’t she?) and her last hiding spot was proving unsafe. Well, not exactly a hiding spot, nor was it unsafe in the sense that something was dangerous there. Darby used to like to go the park, sit on a bench – one that she had started to get fond of calling her bench – that had a beautiful view of the park’s lake and would just read her books for hours. It was a perfect place to go, considering her family never really cared as long as she came home at night and she rarely saw people in that part of the park.

It had changed though, when she met Aaron there. Nothing bad had happened, per se, but Darby was just awkward the whole time, having embarrassed herself in front of the guy. Typical. And now she was hesitant to go back, afraid she’d run into Aaron and make a fool of herself again, or she’d find someone completely different. Out of places left to go, Darby headed towards the city. Big mistake. Monumental, in fact. When Darby wasn’t worrying about getting lost in the crowd, she was practically hyperventilating thinking about the amount of people here. Things had been nicer once she ducked into the bookstore, where it was quieter with a nice atmosphere. She pulled interesting titles off of the shelf, taking them all back to one of the comfy but slightly threadbare chairs to preview by reading the first page of them. Darby honestly had intentions of buying some of them, but she was apparently taking much too long for the manager – something she could deduce by catching the look he gave her every so often. Not wanting to cause any issues, knowing she’d be absolutely mortified if she were to be kicked out of her favorite bookstore, the firetamer paid for the books and then headed back out to the streets.

Instead of getting the delightful feeling of fresh air after being inside so long, Darby felt cornered, oppressed slightly by the masses of people. The air felt thick and hard to breathe. Wonderful. She put her headphones on with the music blaring, clutched her bag close to her, and began to walk through the crowd with her head down. She had to get out of here. There were way too many people here and she couldn’t stand it anymore. Darby walked as fast as she could without running into people – which wasn’t very fast at all considering that there was nowhere to move. Making progress slowly was better than not making any progress at all, she figured. Every step forward was a step closer to getting out of here, even if it felt like it’d take a millennium and a half. But if Darby focused on her music that was blocking out almost every other sound, then maybe she could trick herself into calming down a bit, pretend she was anywhere but here. It might’ve worked too, if the firetamer hadn’t lifted her head the moment she did.

She’d forever say that it was pure chance she happened to look up at that exact moment. Many would say that they had had an odd feeling, premonition of some sort, that allowed them to catch what she had. Darby didn’t have that claim, nor would she fictitiously make it. It just happened to be one of those “the right thing at the right time” sort of deal. Or wrong, depending on how you looked at it. The redhead was going to go with the second option, because she wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. When she lifted her head, she spotted a man snatch a child and make his way down a dark alley. What the hell? Darby wasn’t one to typically swear, but she thought the situation warranted it. And then what happened next was even stranger. She began to go after the guy and the kid. Darby would never approach a stranger, ever. The firetamer was much too shy to do that and had it been something else, like a purse snatching or mugging, she had no doubt she would’ve just put her head back down and kept walking. But there was a kid involved and Darby would never be able to live with herself if she had seen this and then later on the news heard that the kid had been murdered. She began heading for the alley, walking with a purpose and not caring whether or not she ran into people. There was a good chance the girl was too late; that guy had been so fast and she was bogged down by all the people, not to mention some accident with a guy on a bike. Still, she finally made it to the alley, suddenly feeling like a fool now that she was close to accomplishing what she had wanted. Darby slipped her headphones off and balanced them on her neck, feeling herself shake slightly. “H-hello?” She called, knowing it was probably one of the worst things she could do when looking for a potential murderer. Isn’t how the chick always died in a horror film? “I-I know you’re b-back here!” Darby was trying to project an air of confidence but failed miserably, considering her voice was shaking and she kept stammering.

NOTE So excited <3
OUTFIT Click !
MUSE The Fray and Mumford & Sons

[RYDEN MATTHEW O'CONNER]

Ryden knew he'd done what many would probably consider to be as something incredibliy stupid, suicidal even really. Vampires were the last sort of creatures you wanted to mess with, especially when they were on 'the hunt'. The fact that they couldn't kill him probably made his little rescue mission a little less risky than if some other mortal had attempted it, however, that didn't mean they couldn't still beat him to a bloody pulp if they wanted. Which he was sure they would if they caught him with the boy. That was not something he planned on letting happen though. To say the kid had been startled at suddenly being snatched off the street by some complete stranger would have been a bit of an understatement and it had taken quite a bit of effort on Ryden's part just to hold on to the struggling boy. A firm hand over the child's mouth had effectively silenced any shouts that might have given them away to the vampires but there were plenty of muffled 'lemme go's' that weren't doing much for their chances either.

Putting some distance behind them was more important at the moment though so Ryden saved any sort of explanation until he had them safely backed away into the darkness. With his hand still covering the boy's yet to stop moving mouth, he set him back on his feet, careful to keep a good grip on the little fighter who was still determined to get away. "Hold still, I'm not going to hurt you," Ryden reassured the boy in a quick whisper, hoping he would at least calm down a little. Tugging the angel's hand from his face, the kid looked up at his apparent kidnapper, a scowl creasing across his smooth forehead. "Who are you?" he demanded loudly, an action that got him quickly shushed again by Ryden. "Keep quiet!" The hushed scolding was followed by a quick lifting of his eyes, the dark irises sweeping the length of the alley beyond them before he looked back down at the boy. "I'm Ryden,"

Any other info could wait as far as he was concerned but the boy had other ideas. "Are you a kidnapper?" Ah, the frankness of children. At least he was whispering now. "No, I'm not a kidnapper," Another briefly whispered response. "Then why are you hiding me back here?" The slightest twitch of his jaw muscles followed the query. "Because there are some bad people out there who are looking for you right now," This appeased the boy easier than Ryden had thought it would, his little head tilting almost curiously. "Oh you mean the lady with the pointy teeth who grabbed my arm?" Said so nonchalantly, like he people with fangs followed him around all the time. If only that naive innocence would stick with him forever. "Yes, that lady, now stop talking,"

Obeying for once, the boy stood there quietly, for about ten seconds that is. "My name's Charlie," Ryden was almost beginning to wish he'd brought along some duct tape by this point. His exasperation was forgotten, however, at the sound of footsteps echoing faintly in the alley and Ryden pushed the boy behind him, expecting to hear more following the first set. Instead there came a shaky and rather hesitant 'hello' in a voice that was decidedly not one that belonged to either of the vampires. Motioning for Charlie to stay back, Ryden chanced a look to see who was out there and was rewarded by the sight of a young woman he didn't recognize, her voice echoing against the buildings again as called out again, this time with an attempt at bravado that ended up failing miserably.

Needing to shut her up before she gave them away, Ryden reached out and pulled her into he and Charlie's hiding place. "Are you trying to get us all killed?" he hissed in a sharp whisper, his eyes drilling into her almost incredulously, praying that the vamps hadn't heard her. Unfortunately the prayers of fallen angels fall on deaf ears it would seem. Seconds later another set of footsteps could be heard accompanied by another moments after and Ryden ushered the girl behind him with Charlie. "If they find us you take the boy and you run," he ordered her without taking his eyes off the alley. "I'll hold them off," There was no time for an explanation as to what she would be running from or why she was even running to begin with he just hoped she'd do what he said and ask questions later.

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TAGGED:

[/color] Darby!!
NOTES:[/color] <33333
CREDIT:[/color]Text banner credit goes to CUPCAKES AND CONNIPTIONS @ CAUTION[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[DARBY GRACE ELLIS]

This was stupid, she was stupid, this whole situation was stupid. What in the world had she been thinking, running blindly into a deserted alley. As much as Darby hated huge gatherings of people, the crowd she had just escaped from was starting to feel like a better option than just wandering aimlessly down a shady alley. Because what had she really thought she’d be able to do? Overpower the guy who had taken the child and ran? Somehow get the child free and have both him and herself escape unscathed? If she were a character in a story, maybe. But Darby was tiny with little hope of being able to overpower anyone. The guy had to be at least six foot, and she was at an average height of 5’ 4”. If the guy really wanted to, he could crush her. And sure, Darby had her firetaming abilities, but those wouldn’t even scare a kitten. Honestly. The ability of the youngest member of the Ellis clan far surpassed her own. Plus, her firetaming always got worse the more nervous and scared Darby was. She focused too much on her feelings and not what she was doing, which was the mistake. If she were to try anything now, it’d but a spurt of a quickly dying flame accompanied by a cloud of smoke. Tada.

And even as Darby thought this, with the hairs on the back of her neck standing up and every instinct telling her to turn around, she continued down the alley. The redhead had been about ready to open up her mouth to call again when she felt her arm being taken hold of and her whole body being yanked to one side. Darby didn’t scream – she rarely did, seeing as how such a loud noise always attracted more attention than she wanted – but did utter a tiny squeak at being caught off guard. Darby’s body was captured by fear, leaving her unable to react at all, other than that squeak, and being pulled into this little hiding space. She wasn’t trying to fight the guy off, nor would she have been able to had she not been frozen in place. Now what? It was just Darby’s luck, things turning from bad to worse like they did. She would make the situation worse. Instead of being this small kid’s rescuer, she was becoming the kidnapped. How could she even begin to help this kid out now, when she was getting herself into just as much trouble? She was so stupid. It’d keep repeating in her head like a mantra.

Darby’s heart was pounding, so loud she could hear it echo in her ears and she briefly wondered if this stranger could as well. Her eyes locked onto his as he stared at her, unable to look away. She wanted to melt to the ground, close her eyes, plug her ears, and sing at the top of her lungs in an attempt to pretend that she was anywhere but here. Darby, of course, did none of those. Her mouth was dry, her mind forming ideas at a million a minute, and she wouldn’t have been able to respond to the guy’s question had it been one that actually needed a response. Instead, Darby did what she did best – stay quiet. If she had a single talent in the world, it was that. The set of instructions that fell from the guy’s mouth made no sense, not if he were a kidnapper. Take the kid and run? He’d hold them off? What did this guy think he was doing and what was he running from? Like an obedient puppy, she complied as he led her behind him.

Though, instead of standing complacently there, Darby knelt in front of the kid, looking for any sign of injury. She grasped his face in her hands to try to keep him steady so she could examine him thoroughly. Pleased to see that nothing seemed to be out of order except for his ruffled hair, Darby smiled and stood up. At least he was okay; that was the main goal. She kept an arm lightly around the kid’s shoulders as she waited for something – anything – to happen. It could’ve been minutes, it could’ve been hours. Darby wouldn’t have a clue. She focused on her rapidly beating heart, uneven breath, and the kid’s wiggly and impatient movement beside her.

NOTE Figured I'd let you start the action, unless you want me to and I can edit this.
OUTFIT Click !
MUSE Part of the I Am Number Four Soundtrack

[RYDEN MATTHEW O'CONNER]

The girl didn't react at all how Ryden expected her to. Or at least how anyone else normally would have reacted after being grabbed and pulled into a dark corner of an alley by someone who could have been a pscyho killer or something. He was expecting a shrill scream, shout, even a little holler, but all that slipped past her lips was a short sqeak, more of a startled sound than anything really. Even after the initial moment of being taken by surprise had to have worn off she didn't make much noise, any noise actually. Anyone else in her position would have been screaming their head off right then, hoping to get someone's attention who could help them or at least scare of their assumed kidnapper/murderer. It wasn't a fact Ryden was complaining about mind you, seeing as the quieter she was the better chance they had not being found, but it was just a bit surprising to say the least.

She was small, this stranger, petite maybe being a more precise description and judging from the wide eyed look she was aiming at him a good deal more scared than her lack of screaming might have suggested. Scared speechless maybe? He really didn't know and quite honestly didn't care right then either. All she was right then was just one more potential casuality if things went bad which was not at all what he needed weighing on his conscience. She probably wouldn't even begin to understand the danger they were in even if he did have time to explain it fully to her, especially if she was a human, which so far he was going to assume she was. Telling any of them that they were being hunted by vampires either would have produced hysterical laughter or the 'are you mentally insane?' look he'd seen so many times in his years on earth.

Something closer to confusion covered her features just then, clearly not understanding why on earth he was telling her to run for or why. Even then though she didn't question him and he was beginning to wonder whether it actually was because she was still scared witless or just had that calm of a head on her shoulders. The latter didn't seem likely just because, well, most humans were hardly that in control of their emotions. Whatever the reason it was the least of his problems and he took her willingness to do as he said without any questions of his own. Charlie seemed glad to have someone else there to talk to, though the quick glare Ryden sent in the little boy's direction kept him from blurting out anything just then. A bright smile did light up his face though as the girl gave him a quick inspection, the only sort of greeting he could give her for the time being. "I'm Charlie," he whispered before she stood up, shooting a quick glance towards the angel as if he was afraid of another rebuke.

Ryden was too busy listening for the vampires to hear the boy though, tensing as their shadows hovered further down the alley. "No sense in trying to be a hero. We know you're back here," This came in a sultry but sharp female tone and Ryden pressed his back against the wall, motioning for Darby and Charlie to do the same. Blending in with the shadows was their best chance. But even that was a long shot and he knew it. This close he was sure they could smell Charlie's blood like it was already on their tongues and the added scent of the girl was only going to make it harder to keep from being discovered. "That's the lady with the pointed teeth!" This came from Charlie, his whispered exclamation more fearful now as he crowded closer against Darby.

Shifting slightly, Ryden knew it was only going to be a matter of time before they were found. Reaching inside his jacket, he pulled out the wooden stake he'd made the day before, holding it firmly in his right hand, waiting. Steadily closer came the sound of the vampire's footsteps until they were right next to the trio's hiding place. Just before they finished coming around the corner Ryden stepped out, stabbing the sharpend end of the stake into the first vampire he saw, which in this case happened to be the male. Pulling the weapon out just as quickly, Ryden took advantage of his opponent's momentary distraction to land a solid punch to his face and knocking him to the ground. The stake had gone through the vampire's shoulder and while certainly not a killing blow it was enough to stun him for a short time. Which left him with only the woman to contend with just then.

The speed of his attack appeared to have caught her off guard but not for long and she aimed her sights on this seemingly suicidal young man, a wicked smirk on her lips. "Nice try, but you don't stand a chance against us," Ryden dodged her first attack, but she had more speed than any normal person would and struck again, this time landing a kick to his middle. Angel or not, he still had to breathe and that was hard to do when it got knocked from your lungs which made him an easy target as her fist connected solidly with his jaw. Though it failed to lay him on the ground it sent his head spinning that was for sure. Striking out with the stake in his hand, he caught the tip across her arm and was rewarded with a sharp hiss of pain from the female.

By this point the man had recovered from the intial blow and before he could even react Ryden found his arms pinned behind him and the stake being twisted out of his grasp. Held in what could only be described as a vice like grip by the male vampire, he met the woman's icy gaze with a cool look of his own. "Told you you wouldn't stand a chance," she remarked smugly. "Now, just give us the boy and we'll kill you nice and quick like, no pain,"

One of Ryden's eyebrows rose slightly, a smirk of his own touching his lips. "Sorry, not happening," He knew they'd figure out he wasn't human soon enough but the longer he stalled them the more time that girl would have to get Charlie away from here. Or at least he hoped she'd had the sense enough to run by now.

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TAGGED:

[/color] Darby!!
WEARING:[/color] Cliccky... Because I'm too lazy to make one right now.
NOTES:[/color] Starting the action was fine with me. ^^
CREDIT:[/color]Text banner credit goes to CUPCAKES AND CONNIPTIONS @ CAUTION[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[DARBY GRACE ELLIS]

Every hair was standing on edge. Darby couldn’t remember a time when she had been more scared. She was actually pretty sure she never had been. Never before had Darby played an extreme version of hide and go seek, or even a mild version of it. She decided that the suspense of the whole situation was the worse. Sure, the danger was intimidating, but she had absolutely no clue what they were facing. The stranger hadn’t said anything about it. Besides, her life being in danger? That wasn’t a concept Darby was used to and her mind automatically rejected it as a legitimate fear. The firetamer had lived a rather pampered life, she would admit. It happened when you were part of the Ellis clan. They were rolling in cash and Darby was pretty certain she had never been left wanting any sort of material good. Other things that money couldn’t buy, yes, but never anything that could be obtained by throwing money at it. And she never got involved in the little skirmishes her family had with some of the do gooders or whatever you wanted to call them. Darby was no fighter, not in any sense of the word and her family would much rather she be left out of things like that.

Which is why that part didn’t scare her. But she wanted to know what was going to happen. It was like reading a book and getting to the most suspenseful part, only to have real life butt in and put your reading on hold. Or maybe it was just Darby, because no one else seemed to get as into books as she did and go as far as to compare them to her real life. Even if it was weird, that was how she imagined things. So that was what was killing Darby right now. What was this guy even doing? There was a good chance this guy was just insane, imaging that something was chasing him and this kid and her had just gotten dragged into it because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Story of her life. She had the worst sort of luck. Honestly, if anyone were to get stuck in this situation, it would be her. The redhead never understood while the world had it out for her, but it had some personal vendetta against the petite girl that would probably continue for the rest of her life. There seemed to be no end to the cycle.

She saw the stranger shift in front of her. Now what was he doing? The girl stood on her tiptoes, trying to peak over his shoulder. Fact of the matter was she was too short and he was just way too tall and all she got was a higher glance of his shoulder. Her curiosity was going to be the death of her someday. It really was. Unless today happened to be that day, because if there was real danger, she had just found herself in the middle of it. Darby went flat on her feet again, pulling the kid slightly closer to her side. She might burst from anticipation. Seriously. But it would appear as if the girl wouldn’t have to wait long; a second or two later, the stranger shifted position – why, she was unsure – and observant hazel eyes caught the thick piece of wood that was sharpened at one end in his hand. Vampires? What had Darby gotten into this time? The firetamer screwed up. Screwed up big time. What sort of feud had she inadvertently stepped into? Even though Darby was afraid – scared out of her mind now that the danger had suddenly become real – she was glad that she could at least get this kid out of it.

When the guy stepped out and stabbed the other man, Darby felt herself gasp, one hand going to cover her mouth and the other attempting to block the kid’s view. The momentary paralysis didn’t last long and before the redhead was even conscious of her own actions, she was dropping her bag, grabbing the kid’s hand, and sprinting like a jack rabbit with its tail caught on fire. She headed for the crowd, figuring it’d be harder to get caught once she and the kid got lost in the sea of people. The whole entire time, she was waiting to feel the strong, cold grasp of a vampire land on her shoulder or yank her hair or do something that would keep her from getting away. But it never came and Darby let out a small sigh of relief as she hit the crowd without slowing down, not caring at the moment how many people she ran over. “Honey, where do you live?” Darby asked, keeping all senses alert for the vampires. “Right over there,” the kid replied, pointing a chubby finger towards one of the row homes that lined the city high street. She dragged the kid towards the general direction he had pointed, sprinting up the steps to his home. Once at the top of the stoop, Darby allowed herself to pause, kneeling to get at the kid’s level so she could look into his eyes. “You need to get into the house and lock the door. It’s going to be all right.” He nodded and she ruffled his hair, a forced smile that was meant to be comforting plastered on her face. The kid went into the house without questioning her, just like she had hoped.

And now the little firetamer was torn. She should keep running. Darby would be safer that way, if she kept running until she got home and just never thought about it again. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t just leave that guy there, no matter what sort of trouble he had gotten himself into in order to have two vampires after him. So instead of doing the smart thing, Darby ran the way she came again, sticking close to the alleyways so she wouldn’t miss the one they had been hiding in. The redhead found it, quickly ducking into it again. And again, she was at a loss. Now what? She was no good at fighting. The most she could provide as a distraction. But maybe that was all the guy needed. An idea quickly formed in her head and hazel eyes searched the floor of the alley, which was littered with trash. There. An edge of a broken bottle or something. The girl made a grab for it and, trying not to think of just how germ filled it was, made the bravest – and arguably the stupidest – decision of her life. She ran the jagged edge of the glass along the palm of her hand, from corner to corner until there was a long line of ruby red. Darby squeezed her hand, trying to make as much blood well out as possible. “Hey! Hey!” she screamed, a sound so loud she couldn’t believe that it came from her small frame. “Over here! You want this?” Darby waved her arms above her head, getting ready to run again. What the hell was she doing?

NOTE <333
OUTFIT Click !
MUSE Cats Don't Dance

[RYDEN MATTHEW O'CONNER]

Ryden was normally not the sort to insert himself directly into a fight or go out actively searching for one either for that matter. No, he preferred a more low key approach, subtely keep his eye on things and stay under the radar. It made life simpler and that was what he wanted, simple. Which was decidedly not what this whole conflict between the two sides, dark and light, was quickly turning out to be. So why not just stay neutral then if conflict bothered him so much. It wasn't like anyone was forcing him to pick a side after all. That was true and trust me he'd considered it but in the end he hadn't been able to justify sitting back and letting the world go to hell without trying to do at least something about it.

His choice of siding with those trying to protect the humans from being destroyed was perhaps a little unorthodox but not one he would change. Decades of interacting with them, acting like one, it all left its mark on him and to simply stand by and watch them be killed was not something he could bring himself to do. He went about things quietly though, keeping out of the spotlight as was his nature, watching out for trouble as he went about his life day to day. It was one of those days that he'd first noticed Charlie, or rather, the two vampires who seemed to be watching the little boy's every move. It was a pattern the fallen angel had witnessed before in his years on earth, vamps looking for a new recruit or an easy meal. Whichever they wanted him for wasn't important to him though. What mattered was making sure the kid stayed safe.

Two days had passed without them making a move on the boy but Ryden had done his own bit of stalking and overheard the two vampires' plans. Armed with that knowledge he'd made his own plans as well and everything had gone accordingly. That is until she had come into the picture. The petite redhead's unexpected appearance had made things just a bit more complicated to say the least, though it did make getting the boy out of there easier. Provided she knew enough to get out of there while she had the chance.

The chaos that took over for the first few minutes made it impossible to check and see if the two were still in the alley. Only after the male vampire had a hold of him did he risk a glance, relieved to see that it was empty. Whatever happened to him now was worth it knowing that the kid and the girl with him were at least out of harm's way. A smirk parted the woman's lips at his refusal, shaking her head at him in a way that suggested that had not been the answer she was wanting to hear. "You really are more foolish than I thought," she remarked, almost half impressed it seemed at this fellow's stubborness to cooperate. "Very well then, I guess we'll just have to resort to more drastic measures," A small knife was pulled from her jacket, the blade extended towards him, as if to test whether or not the sight of it would change his mind.

The male holding him gave a wicked grin at his companion's words, abruptly pulling up the sleeve on Ryden's right arm and forcing it towards the woman and her knife. "This might sting a little," she said with an equally wicked grin before slashing the blade across his arm, leaving a thin red line of blood oozing to the surface of his skin. "Now, tell me where that little brat is and maybe I'll leave some of that delightful liquid in your worthless body," Meeting her gaze with a rather confident smirk of his own, he retorted cooly, "Drink up,"

A scowl crossed the woman's features as she uttered an annoyed growl. Grabbing his wrist she brought it to her lips with every intention to do just that, barely touching it to her tongue before spitting it on the ground. "He's no human!" she barked out, glaring at Ryden as her partner shot her a surprised look at the revelation. His blood was as repulsive to them as human blood was delicious, a fact he was more than well aware and taking a good deal of pleasure in at the moment. Thoroughly enraged by now, the female vampire grabbed a hold of the front of his jacket, staring at him through the slits of her narrowed eyes. "Think you're pretty clever don't you angel?" she practically spat the last word at him. "You the boy's guardian is that it? Not doing a very good job of it now are you, letting him get tracked down by us,"

Ryden didn't bother answering her which only seemed to further incite her anger and she let go of his jacket with a jerk, an eyebrow raising slightly. "Very well then. We might not be able to kill you but that doesn't mean we can't have some fun," Her partner chuckled at that, clearly anticipating the notion as the female vampire stepped closer, dagger raised again but before she could use it against him the sound of a voice filled the alley behind them. A voice Ryden recognized all too well. Both vampires turned their gazes quickly to the source of the noise, a smirk pulling at the woman's lips as she spotted the girl. "That your backup plan, angel? A measly little human?" A condescending tone entered her voice then before she added lowly, "She certainly smells delicious..."

What was wrong with her?! Why had come back here of all places? Those were the questions pounding through Ryden's head at the moment, powerless in the grip of the male vampire to even try and get to her. What could only be described as a lusty sort of look had entered both vamps eyes and that's when he realized that the redhead had taken it just a step further into crazy. Not only had she put herself right in harm's way but let them smell her blood. "I guess since we can't have the boy this one will do," The words came from the woman, a wicked smile on her face as she charged towards the girl, faster than you could even think to react, driven by the sudden thirst for this new blood. And she wasn't the only one being effected by the smell. Ryden felt the man's grip loosen on him ever so slightly, distracted by the scent and that's all the angel needed. Ramming his elbow into the man's stomach was enough to set him free and he took advantage of his opponent's lack of breath to level a swift kick behind his knees, knocking him to the ground. The force of it slammed his head against the pavement, stunning him, and Ryden swiveled around then to see the female vampire had the young woman by the arms, trapping her there.

"Nice try, sweetie, but it looks like you won't be here to help your angel friend much-" The smug words were cut off abruptly as she gasped, a look of shock slowly coming over the woman's face as her gaze lowered to where the sharp point of a wooden stake protruded from her chest. Behind her Ryden yanked the weapon free, letting her now lifeless body fall to the ground and reaching to grab a hold of Darby's arm, ushering the girl to move alongside him. "We need to get out of here," he commanded, picking up their pace as he turned down one alley and then another, glancing back every now and again to make sure they weren't being followed. With his partner dead Ryden was fairly certain the male vampire wouldn't pursue them any further but he wasn't about to stay around to find out either.

--------------------------

TAGGED:

[/color] Darby!!
WEARING:[/color] Cliccky... Because I'm too lazy to make one right now.
NOTES:[/color] First off I'm sooooo sorry for taking so long to reply. Life got crazy, had muse issues with dear Ryden and then a monster cold. =/ Meh. Anywho, things are going much better now. Also this post is somewhat insanely lengthy so please don't feel pressured to match it or anything. I highly doubt I'll knock out anything this big again. =P And I hope you don't mind what I did with Darby there. If so I can change it no problem. =)
CREDIT:[/color]Text banner credit goes to CUPCAKES AND CONNIPTIONS @ CAUTION[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[DARBY GRACE ELLIS]

Darby had to be certifiably insane. It was the only explanation she could come up with as to why she had cut her own hand and was now wildly trying to get the attention of two vampires entirely for the sake of someone that she didn’t know at all. It wasn’t even like Darby had some stupid hero complex and felt the need to protect everyone. In fact, she was the one who was likely to see some sort of injustice and get horribly upset about it but then do nothing about it. Later, she’d guilt herself by saying she could’ve, should’ve, would’ve done something.

The redhead wasn’t a fighter, which was odd for someone of her species. She had found that firetamers had the tendency to be hot headed, to enjoy leaping into battle without a care in the world. They were as dangerous and unpredictable as the fire they could control. Especially an Ellis, who were notorious for that kind of behavior. Maybe Darby’s problem was that she had none of that inner fire that was so essential to being a real firetamer. She was weak in her family’s eyes, as used to be put in the corner as she was with any other activity in her daily routine. In following that idea of her not being a fighter, the next part of Darby’s plan included running like hell in hopes she could at least distract the vampires enough so the guy could be free.

She wasn’t quite sure why she had such a strong urge to make sure this guy was all right. He was, after all, just a stranger who was more than likely perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Who knows? He might even be mad at her if they could make it out of here alive. And yet, her Darby still stood, sticking her neck out for the guy with a half-baked plan, a gigantic jumble of nerves, and a bucket full of adrenaline. Hazel eyes carefully watched both vampires, trying to figure out which one would make a move. She guess it would be the woman, seeing as how the other was much too occupied holding the mystery man.

It would appear as if the girl was right, seeing as how the female vampire made a quick movement towards Darby. The redhead was tensed to run – actually in the process of turning around so she could sprint the same way she had come – when the woman practically appeared next to her. She knew vampires were fast but had never thought that they were that fast. There was no chance of her running now, seeing as the female vampire now had her up against a wall. Darby’s plan might not have been much to work with, but at least it had been something.

Now, she fought to keep back a whimper of sorts, refusing to let anyone see just how scared she was. All the while she was trying to get a handle on her fire control, knowing it was her secret and only weapon. Vampires tended to be rather skittish around fire and if Darby could only tap into her true nature then she and the stranger might have an actual chance of escaping. But she was never good with the talent to begin with and the added stress from a life or death situation made it a pointless effort.

This might be the proper time to panic, but the redhead was finding it hard to do so. Oh, of course she was frightened. Terribly so. But if she was going to die, then she’d much rather do so in a dignified manner. Then maybe her family would have at least a small scrap of something to be proud of her for, if they decided to remember her at all. And, well, a quick glance towards the guy she had failed at trying to save assured Darby she was doing the right thing. She’d much rather die knowing it had been because she had helped someone rather than being selfish and cold-hearted.

There might have been a crack or two in that façade when the vampire who was holding her flashed her awful fangs. Death had to be soon. This vampire was already crazy from the smell of fresh blood and being this close to the source must’ve been difficult. Darby thought she might actually get out of the whole gloating thing super villains tended to do before attempting to kill the good guy. But then the woman opened her mouth and all Darby could silently plead for was that this stupid maneuver hadn’t been for nothing and that the stranger would at least get away.

The vampire stopped mid-sentence, like something had cut her off. The girl couldn’t quite comprehend what had just happened, the sight of the stake protruding from the vampire’s chest too odd of a site for Darby to really understand. It’d seem as if it didn’t matter though, since she was suddenly being dragged away by the stranger. She obediently kept pace with the guy until she felt like her feet were cement and that her lungs might burst if she didn’t get a decent gasp of air. The redhead didn’t want to stop or slow them down in any way, in case the male vampire was following them with the intent of revenge.

Eventually she had to stop when she felt as if she could run no more. Darby perched on the stoop of some random door, quickly trying to catch her breath. “You can keep running,” Darby suggested, not looking at the stranger but hoping he’d take her up on that offer. She really wasn’t looking forward to some lecture that she had already given herself. In an attempt to look busy or distracted, Darby ripped a strip of fabric off her dress – ruining the article of clothing instantly – to wrap around her bleeding hand. Money had never been much of a problem for Darby and she probably wouldn’t even remember this dress in a week or two.

NOTE It's all good <3 sorry this took so long!
OUTFIT Click !
MUSE The Spill Canvas and MCR

[RYDEN MATTHEW O'CONNER]

Ryden wasn't sure just when this whole thing had started to get out of hand. Anyone else probably would have said the moment he decided to step off that bench and interfere in the first place. And they might have been right but as far as the angel was concerned that wasn't it. To an outsider his actions might have been seen as spur of the moment, a random act of either heroics or villainy, depending on your view of things. Clearly the red haired young woman suspected the latter and in an unexpected move chased after him. She was the unknown variable thrown into what had been a fairly solid plan, in his mind at least.

Still, her arrival hadn't changed much, if anything really. The vampires hadn't seen her and still assumed it was just him and boy. So far so good and having her there to take the kid was actually kind of a blessing in disguise since it gave him time to distract the vamps without risking the boy. These were the times when being immortal proved to be less the curse he normally considered it to be. They could do what they wished with him but they wouldn't be killing him anytime soon, a fact that Ryden found highly satisfying to say the least. It wouldn't keep them from doing whatever else they wanted to him of course, even after they discovered he wasn't human, but it would give the young woman and little boy time to get away if luck was on their side.

Suffice it to say this whole crazy plan of his was going perfectly, the vamps had played right into his hands and the girl had done exactly as he hoped she would and high tailed it out of there, boy in tow. Whatever happened to him now was trivial. The boy was safe, as was the girl. Job done. He might not have been a guardian any longer but he was still an angel and those instincts were still there and just as strong it seemed. Perhaps it was that ever present sense of guilt that always seemed to plague him after what had happened all those decades before, maybe he was just looking for a way to atone for all of his mistakes. It wasn't really a question he could answer and wasn't sure he even wanted to when it came down to it.

Whatever his inner motivation for the deed there was no questioning his relief that it had gone as he'd hoped and he was the only one left for the two evil creatures to toy with now. Or so he thought. Now that he thought about it that was the moment when things had started to unravel, that split second right before the sound of that auburn haired stranger's voice had cut through the dark alley. It was the last thing he'd expected to hear and the last thing he'd wanted to hear. Why hadn't she kept running?! There was no reason for her to have any reason to come back here. She didn't know him from Adam and judging from her first reaction to him back in the alley she didn't seem to hold any sort of high opinion of him either. Not that he blamed her seeing as it probably looked like he was trying to kidnap the boy. So why in the hell would make her even want to come back? It almost seemed too far fetched to think it was done out of the goodness of her heart, not because he thought she was incapable of it, but it was downright suicidal to come back and the instinct to survive almost always overrode any other emotion.

And yet here she was, acting nothing short of crazy, practically asking for them to kill her the moment that first drop of blood oozed from her skin. He wasn't the only one caught off guard either. For a split second her sudden appearance gave them both pause, but the scent of her blood soon overrode the surprise. There was no doubt what would have happened if Ryden hadn't been able to take advantage of the vampire holding him, reaching her just in time. Most other people probably would have been nothing more than a quivering pile of nerves to terrified to even hear, let alone obey the command he gave that they needed to get out of there as quickly as possible.

To her credit though the young woman followed right along behind him, keeping up with his swift pace admirably but even she finally seemed to reach her last leg. Ryden could feel her starting to lag and slowed his own pace as she dropped down on the stoop of nearby door, trying to catch her breath. His own lungs were starting to burn slightly, chest heaving slightly, still keeping a sharp watch around them for any sign that they were being followed. Her suggestion was met with a brief glance from the fallen angel, not intending on doing any such thing, though he didn't say so, instead asking quietly, "The kid is safe?"

Judging from the way she had been so protective of the boy earlier he doubted she would have left him somewhere that would have left him at risk. Still, he wanted to know for sure. His brown eyes studied her movements as she proceeded to tear off a strip of fabric from the bottom of her skirt and use it as sort of a makeshift bandage for the cut on her palm. "You shouldn't have come back you know, I would have been fine," Well maybe not fine but he wouldn't have died and that was the most important thing. Tying a proper knot with one hand was proving difficult he saw and he kneeled down beside her, reaching out to carefully tie off the fabric. He glanced up as he finished, meeting her hazel eyes then, a smile tugging faintly on his lips. "But thanks all the same. No one can say you don't have guts,"

Rising, he offered her out a hand, "Where do you live? I'll walk you there," A chivalrous offer, but with an underlying motive as well seeing as he wasn't sure that the vampire wouldn't wait for them to part ways before going after her.

--------------------------

TAGGED:

[/color] Darby!!
WEARING:[/color] Cliccky... Because I'm too lazy to make one right now.
NOTES:[/color] Gah! Sorry again for taking so long. I suck I know.
CREDIT:[/color]Text banner credit goes to CUPCAKES AND CONNIPTIONS @ CAUTION[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

[DARBY GRACE ELLIS]

Darby had been hoping the stranger would leave. Despite the saying “don’t hold your breath,” she had been. Honestly, she wouldn’t have though poorly of him if he had chosen to continue running. But with the immediate danger went the redhead’s bravado. Without the first, the second didn’t exist and since the two were no longer in any immediate danger, Darby’s shyness came flooding back. She couldn’t look the guy in the eyes, staring at everything else but them. There was the possibility that Darby even looked a slight bit twitchy. Her nervousness was over obvious and you’d have to be a blind fool to miss it. And yet, the guy stayed there. What was Darby supposed to do?

She could only nod when he asked about the kid being safe, her grasp on the English language momentarily eluding her. It always did in situations such as these, making Darby seem silent and stuck up. She was slightly offended by the idea that this guy thought she would just leave a child to fend for himself. Darby coming back to help the guy out might not have been one of her brightest moments, but she was typically a smart girl and she would’ve known that that wasn’t a good thing to do. Still, Darby didn’t state the slight irritation she felt towards the assumption, seeing as how that would’ve required her to actually talk and possibly create some sort of conflict.

Conflict was no good for her. This whole day had been too much for her. An overload, so to speak. She was the type to keep her head down and hide until any disagreement was blown over. It was so much unlike her sisters and the majority of the Ellis clan, all of whom were stubborn, bull headed fighters. A tiny bit of that had shone through for Darby today, but it was a first (and most likely the last). Truth be told, Darby wasn’t sure what had made her act quite like that today. Sure, the guy had been in trouble and if she were a noble sort of person, she’d say that was the reason she had rushed to his aid. But the girl was neither noble nor courageous and the whole thing had been too out of character for Darby’s comfort.

The avoidance of conflict also held Darby’s tongue as the man mentioned that she shouldn’t have come back. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, feeling as if she didn’t need a lecture after thoroughly chewing herself out for being stupid. And of course she didn’t agree with the fact that he would’ve been alright had Darby not come back. Men were known for being overly macho and that was what Darby chalked the comment up to. Two against one wasn’t a very fair odd and vampires could be particularly malicious creatures. Even a hunter – someone specially trained to deal with the threat vampires imposed – wouldn’t have done well with those odds. So who exactly did this guy think he was?

The girl, lost in her own thoughts and nervousness, jumped slightly and let out a faint squeak when the guy knelt down to help her tie the strip of cloth around her hand. Observant eyes stared at his fingers as he expertly made a knot in the fabric. She was careful to not look up, dreading the thought of making eye contact. And yet, it happened anyway and when it did, Darby felt her heart stop beating for a moment or two before kicking into over drive. Forget her being nervous; Darby was ten times worse around members (especially attractive members) of the opposite sex. She hadn’t had much time to really look at the guy up until this point, considering the whole “lives in danger” situation they had met in. But now that things had slowed a bit, Darby knew she was in trouble. That small smile kept Darby’s tongue tied and her mind flying in a thousand different directions.

Maybe if she were more confident, bolder, wittier (aka maybe if she wasn’t Darby) she would’ve shot off some flirty comment in the guy’s direction, somewhere along the lines of him making a habit of playing hero. But because she was Darby and not some heroine from the books she often read, her eyes traveled to her injured hand and she inspected the handiwork of the makeshift bandage. It was much better than she would’ve been able to do on her own and she wanted to say thank you. But with her whole being focused on the stranger, it was almost impossible for Darby to form coherent words in her head, much less say something out loud.

Then his next comment cut through the jumbled mess in Darby’s mind and she was finally able to actually speak. “You’re the first to say that.” And probably the last. Darby couldn’t keep herself from destroying this idea of a confident and courageous girl that it seemed like the guy was trying to build. The whole thing had been an unexplained, temporary moment of insanity and nothing more. It wasn’t anything to be proud of nor should it be commended. She wanted to continue to expose the fallacies behind the guy’s idea of her, but the next comment stopped her cold.

For anyone normal, it might not have been a big deal. Sure, a gentleman offering to walk you home might seem nearly extinct in this day and age and the fact that he was a stranger made the whole situation odd. But it wasn’t something to panic over, like Darby was clearly beginning to do. No, that hadn’t been what had caused a streak of fear to shoot through the young woman. What was causing the issue was the fact that Darby was an Ellis.

Outside of the supernatural world, that didn’t mean much. But once you understood the politics of the hidden world, you knew the Ellis clan wasn’t the greatest to mess with. They were cruel, notoriously ruthless, and some of the biggest advocates for supernatural dominance of the world. In short, you wanted to avoid contact with them if possible. Of course the guy would know none of this because he had no clue who she was, but guaranteed he would’ve bolted if he found out.

It wouldn’t be safe for him if he were to walk Darby home. There was no doubt in her mind that Momma Ellis would see her daughter with a complete and total stranger and be raging mad. There was a possibility she’d kill the guy simply because she could and then ask questions later. Darby hadn’t gone through all the trouble stupidity she had today to just get the guy killed anyway. Despite her aversion to conflict, Darby had to put her foot down with this request. “I can make it home by m-myself,” Darby said, trying to sound confident and secretly proud that she had stuttered only once. She stayed where she was sitting though, not really sure what to do after making a bold statement like that.

NOTE I love this thread <3
OUTFIT Click !
MUSE My Chemical Romance

[RYDEN MATTHEW O'CONNER]

It was like night and day, the way the girl suddenly seemed to change, going from bold and outspoken to shy and nervous. The shift in temperment intrigued the angel rather than annoyed and left him wondering if this was how she normally tended to be or simply a result of the situation she'd just found herself with him before hand. Not that he would have blamed her if the latter was true considering she'd found herself face to face with a vampire ready to kill her. He'd probably be a bit freaked too had he been in her shoes and without the advantage of claiming immortality. Whatever the reason might have been he wasn't entertaining even the slightest idea of leaving her there and continuing on alone. Even though he got the impression she would have been perfectly fine with him doing just that.

Had he just happened upon her in that moment without having seen her before this he might have thought she was guilty of something the way she avoided his gaze, her movements nervous, almost like that of a caged animal. The brief thought that she might be nervous of him now that they were alone and out of any immediate danger (or so it seemed at least) crossed his mind. After all he'd just snatched a kid off the street and proceeded to be chased and then attacked by two vampires. Not necessarily a good first impression for her. She did offer a quick nod in response to his question concerning the kid and relieving that concern for him at least. "Good. Thanks,"

Ryden really couldn't say he was much better off than the auburn haired young woman when it came to the conversation department, though not so much out of shyness. The fallen was definitely what you'd call an introvert, preferring to spend the majority of his time alone rather than out in the company of large groups. Observing, listening, those were two of his strengths and had benefitted him greatly over the past few hundred years, probably just as much if not more so than if he'd thrown himself into some large social circle and made himself the center of attention. He was always nearby though, standing along the sidelines, participating to a point but that was about it. If he had any sort of opinion he had no problem giving it but if you expected some sort of long drawn out conversation with him you'd be waiting for a very, very long time.

Which made this girl's lack of words now less irritating than she might have assumed he found it. And as much as she was avoiding looking at him he was certainly looking at her, studying those petite features as best he could at least what with the way she was angling her face away from him. There was a very innocent and vulnerable air about her, one that didn't at all match the fiery person who'd chased after him into a dark alley and then proceeded to challenge a vampire while she was there. And while he could understand the first action seeing as witnessing a child being grabbed off of the street could draw many people to act in a similar fashion, the second made less sense if only because that had meant she had made a very clear choice to come back instead of simply reacting. Such a move might have suggested she was a very bold sort of person but Ryden found himself thinking that was not the case when it came to this girl.

The softly startled yelp and subsequent jerk of her figure as he knelt down beside her only seemed to further prove that assumption and he kept his following movements slow and careful for that reason alone. Her eyes remained trained upon his hands throughtout the short process and he half expected them to remain there until he moved away but suddenly he found himself looking into those pretty hazel eyes, a move that seemed to leave them both surprised. For the first time a small little smile touched her lips and though she still remained silent Ryden could tell she was appreciative as she inspected the finished result. He'd risen to his feet afterwards, giving a watchful glance around them, when the soft sound of her voice broke the silence, the surprising noise bringing his gaze quickly back down to her small figure.

Someone else might have tried to debate the remark and say that certainly couldn't be true or something else equally as encouraging. The angel, however, wasn't one prone to such things and simply took the comment in quietly, though it did serve to further increase his growing curiosity about this girl. The fact that she had obviously known exactly what it was that had been attacking them back in the alley hadn't been lost on him and made him wonder just who exactly she was if she was aware that such creatures even existed. Hardly any humans knew that they weren't the only race who called this planet home, which was how it had been intended and the reason for the war that was now taking place. So just who (or possibly what) was she?

It was question that remained unasked and therefore unanswered, not that he would have expected one from her even if he had attempted to find out. For now it was more important to see them both safely away from this area which was when he'd inquired as to where she lived, thinking little of the inquiry. Her response, however, caused a slight furrow to touch his forehead, not necessarily shocked at her rejection of the offer but not willing to accept it at that and walk away either. There was something almost akin to fear in her tone, though she had clearly done her best to pull off a confident sort of sound. Unfortunately for the young woman she was up against someone who had had a good couple hundred years of interacting with people under his belt and therefore had little chance of getting anything past him without some sort of notice.

"I'm sure you can but I'd feel better knowing you did myself," A quirk of his eyebrows was given as he added right after, "I'm not going to try and hurt you or anything if that's what you're worried about," The fear was noticed but the reason for it was still a mystery to him, though his previous remark would have been his first guess.

--------------------------

TAGGED:

[/color] Darby!!
WEARING:[/color] Cliccky... Because I'm too lazy to make one right now.
NOTES:[/color] I love this thread and I love these two. <3
CREDIT:[/color]Text banner credit goes to CUPCAKES AND CONNIPTIONS @ CAUTION[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

[DARBY GRACE ELLIS]

Jesus. Darby really had to get over herself and this shyness. It was ridiculous. She was almost a grown woman and still acted like a toddler. Her sisters made fun of her for it all of the time, saying she was just trying to be “cute.” And then of course, reminded her that guys didn’t think girls like her were cute. They thought those girls were annoying. The elder Ellis sisters were completely off; Darby didn’t just act like this. She was like this. It wasn’t some switch she could turn on and off. They just didn’t understand because never once in their lives had they been shy like her.

Though her sisters’ words kept playing like a record in her head, somehow making the situation even worse. Especially because this stranger was so cute. That upon itself didn’t help matters. It kind of made Darby’s throat feel dry and her hands clammy. But the added spike of her sisters’ comments of guys finding shyness annoying almost made her down right shaky. Maybe that was a normal reaction for a preteen. Or hell, maybe even a teenager. But someone who was getting closer and closer to having to take care of herself? Horrible.

Darby brought her injured hand closer to her middle, as if to cradle it there. She stared down at her hand for a moment or two before she decided she was just being a wuss about it and let her arm drop down to her side. “Thanks,” she finally managed to mutter, only able to do so because her eyes were carefully trained on the guy’s shoes and not his face. It would’ve been nearly impossible for her to say that had she been. The thank you was definitely not well timed – much too late – and the guy might’ve already gotten passed that point. For Darby, it was an accomplishment.

She found herself wondering if she sat on those steps long enough if the guy would just wander away. It’d be awkward for him if she refused to move. For her too, but she dealt with her own weirdness on a daily basis. With any hope, that sort of situation would cause the stranger some sort of discomfort and no one would want to put themselves deliberately at unease. If they did, then something was wrong with them. And well, maybe Darby wasn’t all that stubborn, but she thought she could stick it out long enough. Besides, keeping this guy safe from her family was worth her own discomfort.

Though it seemed their minds were travelling in two very different directions. Of course they were; the guy had no clue who she was related to. He didn’t know what she was afraid of. It only made sense for him to come up with his own conclusion. And if Darby were thinking along the lines, then his conclusion would make logical sense. Why else would she not want him to walk her home? But somehow, Darby was finding herself horrified at his assumption. She didn’t think of him like that. As someone malicious that got his kicks out of pretending to be perfectly nice and turning out to be a complete violent psycho. And she didn’t want him to believe she had that opinion.

Because from the very moment the firetamer had realized that the guy was trying to save the kid, she had decided he was a good person. Pure of heart or whatever nonsense you wanted to call it. It was still entirely true though. Very few would’ve stepped in like he had to save the life of someone he didn’t know. Especially if it were against two vampires. And he had to have known that he was going after two vampires; his actions didn’t indicate that he was frightened or even surprised by the fact that the people had had fangs or a taste for blood.

Wide eyed, Darby was on her feet before she even really realized what she was doing. Which caused her to startle herself and stand there, silent and frozen, for a few beats. Finally, in an attempt to regain some face (like that was even possible by now), Darby smoothed out the torn skirt of her dress and stared at her feet, taking a couple of calming breaths before looking up. No need to sound like a stark raving lunatic when she spoke to him. Though she couldn’t quite tell the stranger the whole truth and for that, Darby felt horrible. No one deserved being lied to their face, but what was a girl to do? She had no idea who – or what – this guy was and she couldn’t just go spouting about being a firetamer or her family. The vampire had mentioned quite a few times the word “angel”, which Darby could only now piece together. But she wasn’t about to take a chance on the vampire’s words nor did she think that, even if they were true, an angel would look down on the Ellis family all that kindly.

“No, no. That’s not it at all. You’re too nice and genuine and too much like a gentleman and…” Darby found herself trailing off, afraid of sounding too mushy or hero worship-y when she’d only known the guy for a couple of minutes tops. He’d think she was completely insane. If he didn’t already, of course. “I just…” She didn’t really have an explanation. Not if she didn’t want to hint to the truth or anything. “It’s nothing.” Darby shook her head, mentally scolding herself for being so socially awkward.

Speaking of socially awkward, Darby realized she had never done something that she should’ve. Introduce herself. Sure, it wasn’t like there had been much of an appropriate time to do so, but she still should’ve somehow. “I’m Darby,” she said softly as if she were half hoping that he wouldn’t be able to hear her, carefully avoiding a last name. The firetamer wanted to just start walking home. To curl up on her bed and forget all of this. She wasn’t quite sure how to just start the walk home, not feeling confident enough to really lead. Darby was a hopeless mess.

NOTE Sorry this took so awfully long! I feel horrible for it! But I love these two dearly <333
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